"I told you, it's much better to go fishing at the Black Lake. Why don't you just leave the Niffler alone?" Kanna said, watching Kyle as he dangled a stick with a red stone in front of the eager creature.
In the common room, Kyle grinned, unfazed. "It's not just any stone; it's a Philosopher's Stone!" he corrected her.
"Yeah, right, a magic rock..." Kanna rolled her eyes. "I saw you drop it last night. It's just an ordinary pebble. Is this how you usually trick the Niffler?"
"Don't put it that way," Kyle replied, smirking. "It's just a bit of fun. Look how happy he is."
Kanna raised an eyebrow, glancing at the Niffler. The little creature was practically panting with excitement, hopping around on its stubby legs. She sighed, unable to see any "happiness" in his frantic excitement.
Shaking her head, Kanna pulled out a golden Galleon, waving it to try and catch Niffler's attention. But to her surprise, the Niffler—who normally couldn't resist the sight of a Galleon—ignored her, his eyes glued to the red stone in Kyle's hand. Unwilling to give up, she tried a second Galleon, but it was no use.
"Save your breath. My stone is way shinier than a Galleon," Kyle boasted, grabbing Niffler by the scruff and gently tossing him back into his box. "Besides, you've already given him fifteen Galleons over the past few days. I should remind you—a Niffler really can't be used as a wallet."
"That's none of your business!" Kanna retorted, her cheeks turning pink. "And, for the record, I gave those Galleons to the Niffler; you can't just take them!"
"Ahem... I'm not that kind of person." Kyle's face twitched before he added, "But, on another note, shouldn't you be with Professor Snape right now for tutoring? What are you still doing here in the common room?"
"I passed Professor Snape's test yesterday and successfully brewed the Draught of Living Death... so tutoring's over."
"So, you're free now?" Kyle asked, pulling out a chessboard and setting it on the table. "How about a game of Wizard Chess?"
"Alright," Kanna agreed.
She didn't have many friends at Hogwarts, and with both Cho and her roommate away, she was feeling bored. Chess would be a nice way to pass the time.
"But let's be clear—I'm not very good at chess, so you can't blame me if I mess up... Wait, is this Wizard Chess?"
Kanna, who was about to set up the pieces, froze as she looked down. Instead of the familiar chess pieces, she saw tiny figures of different Magical Creatures. At the front row were Nifflers, while the back row featured a Troll, a Hippogriff, a Swooping Evil, a Three-Headed Dog, and even a Dragon.
"It's a little custom version," Kyle explained. "I had nothing to do after finishing my homework, so I gave them a makeover. Just changed their appearances, really. Wasn't too hard."
Kanna looked up at him with an incredulous expression. Nothing to do after finishing your homework... Did he even realize what he'd just said? She had been catching up on ten whole days of classes, with homework on top!
Did Kyle have any idea how heartless that sounded?
"What are you staring at? You're the black pieces, so you go first," Kyle urged.
Kanna glared at him before looking back at the chessboard. By now, the Magical Creatures had taken their positions on the board, and Kanna quickly guessed what each one represented.
The two of them played three long games of chess in the common room, after which Kyle was desperate to escape.
Kanna's earlier claim about her chess skills being "average" was a massive understatement. Her skill level was, in truth, painfully average. And while playing against an inexperienced opponent could be fun every now and then, Kanna's style came with a unique torture: she took an eternity to make each move. What could have been a five-minute game dragged on for over half an hour.
By the end, Kyle was beyond frustrated, trapped in a game that had long since lost its appeal. He would have gladly rewritten his homework—twice—if it meant escaping another game with Kanna.
But Kanna wasn't having it, and she insisted he stay until noon.
Finally, as soon as lunch was over, Kyle made a break for it. He left the castle and headed straight for Hagrid's hut, determined to spend the rest of the afternoon somewhere chess-free.
At Hagrid's, he ran into Harry and Ron. Ron explained that Harry had been plagued by nightmares lately, and they'd come to see if Hagrid might be able to help.
"So, why didn't you just go to Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing?" Kyle asked, baffled.
He couldn't fathom Harry and Ron's logic. As far as he could see, the only way Hagrid could "solve" Harry's nightmares was by knocking him out with a well-placed punch. Or was it just that all first-years were unusually reckless?
"I-I don't want to go to the Hospital Wing..." Harry mumbled, averting his eyes.
Of course, he knew Madam Pomfrey was more qualified than Hagrid. But if he went to the Hospital Wing, he worried she might press him to reveal the details of his dreams—something he wasn't ready to share with anyone else.
"Sorry, Harry, I can't help you," Hagrid said, filling their mugs with tea and passing around his infamous rock cakes. "Kyle's right; you should go straight to the Hospital Wing. I went there myself once when I couldn't sleep, and Madam Pomfrey sorted me out in a minute. The potion she gave me wasn't the nicest smellin', but it worked like a charm."
"...Alright," Harry replied, a bit crestfallen. Even though Hagrid had recommended it, he still had no intention of going to the Hospital Wing. Maybe once the term started and things got busier, his nightmares would naturally fade.
He sighed and took a small bite of a rock cake.
"If you really don't want to go to the Hospital Wing, I have an alternative you might want to try," Kyle said, pulling out a small bottle of potion and placing it on the table.
"What's that?" Ron asked curiously.
"Draught of Living Death—the same potion Hagrid used," Kyle replied. "Just a tiny sip sends you into a deep, dreamless sleep. You won't wake up even if a dragon's dancing right next to you."
Harry picked up the bottle, eyeing it with uncertainty. "Will this stop the nightmares?"
"It should," Kyle nodded. "Or at least you could try it and see. Just take a tiny sip, enough to let you sleep for about an hour. It won't mess up your rest tonight. But one thing—it's really strong, so you'd better wait until you're back in the dormitory..."
But before Kyle could finish, Harry tipped the bottle and took a small sip.
"What did you say?" Harry asked, putting the bottle back down.
"Nothing, never mind." Kyle sighed, looking at Ron. "You'd better be ready to help. I don't think Potter's going to make it back to the dormitory on his own."
And sure enough, just as Kyle spoke, Harry's head drooped, and he slumped forward in his chair, completely motionless.